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Desperate
Plot After a young boy witnesses the brutal sexual assault and murder of his stepmother, his father blocks the efforts of the detectives to question him. Summary At 5 AM, a resident at a Hell's Kitchen apartment building calls the fire department after smelling smoke in another unit. Firefighters break down the door & find food burning on the stove, a frightened 6-year-old boy named Mikey, & his badly injured mother. There's blood on Mikey, which means that Mikey's injured. The mother had also been raped & sodomized. Barely alive when the fire department arrived, she dies at the hospital during surgery. Killer's DNA, semen, & fingerprints aren't on the victim. Although there's blood on Mikey, it's actually Jill's blood. Mikey didn't even get injured. Jill's blood was on Mikey because he tried to wake her up. The mother's purse & all other identifying information were taken by her attacker. Killer's DNA, semen, & fingerprints aren't inside the victim's apartment. Basically, cops are unable to find killer's DNA, semen, & fingerprints for this investigation. Since killer most likely used protective clothing, mask, & gloves, that's why cops are unable to find killer's DNA, semen, & fingerprints. It's possible that killer's an ex-convict. A urine stain on the hallway carpet outside the bedroom suggests that Mikey witnessed the assault, & was so terrified by what he saw, he wet his pants. Although it's little good that Mikey witnessed a crime, it's sad because Mikey witnessed the assault. Apartment Landlord identifies Mikey's mother as Dana McGuire. She had moved in a month ago, paying cash up front for 3 months. Her driver’s license listed an upscale Central Park address. The real Dana McGuire’s alive & well at the address on the license. The real Dana's purse had been stolen in a mugging some time before. The mugger's Leon. The D.A. sentenced Leon to 6 months at Rikers. Stabler & Benson go to Leon. Leon met the fake Dana in a diner & gave her the license after she told him she couldn't find work because she had no ID. Leon knew her as Jill, & her son as Tommy. Since Leon cooperated with Stabler & Benson, that's they want to ask D.A. to send Leon to Halfway House. If Leon goes to Halfway House, then he has to finish out his sentence in Halfway House & he doesn't have to finish out his sentence in prison. Warner tells detectives that Jill was assaulted between 9:00 & 11:00 last night. Before Jill's killer left Jill's apartment, Jill's killer activated stove to burn food, which caused firefighters to come to Jill's apartment. From 11 pm till 5 AM, Tommy tried to help Jill as she died. Since Jill was unconscious, it's sad because Tommy was alone from 11 pm-5 am. Warner says that Jill probably hadn't been able to have children. There's no match between Tommy's DNA & Jill's DNA. There are no similar characteristics between Tommy's DNA & Jill's DNA. Tommy's not Jill's biological child. Tommy's not related to Jill. Tommy's still inside (hospital play-room). Jill probably adopted or kidnapped Tommy. There's no police report about Tommy & Jill. Tommy likes to draw pictures. Tommy draws picture of Jill's murder. Tommy also draws picture of himself holding hands with Benson. When Benson calls him Tommy, he becomes afraid, but she tells him not to be afraid. Benson tries to draw him out about what happened to Jill. He reaches for her cell phone, & she gives it to him. He dials 911. Benson asks Tommy if he knows his home number, & he tosses the phone down on the table. When she asks if he knows any other numbers, such as those one might call in an emergency, he dials the Domestic Violence Hotline. Stabler & Benson are going to Domestic Violence Hotline Office. A compassionate hotline worker identifies Jill as Jill Hoffman, & expresses her disgust that Jill's husband finally did it. Dan Hoffman’s a violent, abusive monster who completely isolated Jill from the world. After three weeks at a safe house, Jill returned home long enough to get Tommy. But then the domestic violence workers couldn't shelter her, because as Tommy's stepmother she had no legal right to take the boy from his father. They did find her a pro bono attorney to help her fight for legal custody. Jill's attorney's a woman. Jill's attorney tells Stabler & Benson that Dan started abusing Jill shortly after their wedding two years ago. Kim, Dan's first wife & Tommy's biological mother, had left a year before that; Dan probably abused Kim too. Dan had psychologically terrorized his son, but hadn't laid a hand on him...yet. Jill had known that Dan's crossing that line was only a matter of time She never made a domestic violence complaint again because her husband’s "Mr. Pillar-of-the-Community" in their exclusive small town of Rye, nobody would believe he's a batterer. Detectives suspect that Jill's attorney told Jill to take Tommy. After Jill took Tommy, they moved into Hell's Kitchen Apartment Building. She denies that she told Jill to take Tommy. Although Detectives believe that she told Jill to take Tommy, they can't prove it. They're glad that she told Jill to take Tommy. Stabler & Benson go to Rye Police Department. Rye Police Officers tell Stabler & Benson that Dan's nice. Benson & Stabler are going back to Hospital, so they can talk to Tommy again. When Benson shows Kim's picture to Tommy, he begins talking to Benson for the 1st time. Tommy says, "Jill & I ran away from Dan. Jill & I were gonna get a new home far away where my dad could never find us, but..." Just as Tommy's going to talk about Jill's murder, Dan Hoffman storms in. Tommy's clearly terrified of his father, but Tommy's been medically cleared & released to his father's custody. Dan's defense attorney's Priscilla. Dan's considering a lawsuit because NYPD ceased Info on Tommy's whereabouts. Alex tells police that Dan or a stranger killed Jill. Detectives are going to Dan's house. Dan's saying, "Hello detectives, I'm still considering a lawsuit. I don't want you to question Tommy now because I'm trying to protect him. I lied to everyone that Jill & Tommy were on vacation in Florida because I was trying to protect my wife's reputation. I didn't want anyone to know how emotionally unstable Jill was. I thought that I was doing right thing. There's no police report about Tommy & Jill because I didn't tell anyone that Jill kidnapped Tommy. I wanted to tell police that Jill kidnapped Tommy, but I feared that Jill might do something crazy." Benson asks, "Where were you the night of Jill's murder?" Dan's alibi for Jill’s murder is being at a business association dinner dance, which was held at a place 5 minutes away from Jill’s apartment. Several attendees confirm that Dan was there. They also remember that Dan disappeared for about 45 minutes during the evening, then reappeared after 11:00. Since it's presumed that police checked every dumpster between the dinner dance & Jill's apartment, it's also presumed that they couldn't find evidence including Jill's DNA. Alex Cabot tries, unsuccessfully, to get Judge Ridenour's permission for George Huang to interview Tommy. Alex says, "Put Tommy in Foster Care because Dan probably killed Jill. Dan has weak alibi for Jill's murder. There's history of domestic violence." Dan says, "I didn't kill Jill. I never abused Jill." Priscilla says, "There's no evidence that Dan knew about Jill's apartment." Judge says, "Tommy will remain in Dan's custody." To prove he’s not the monster the police think he is, Dan submits to a police interview at police station. Dan plays the loving father & grieving widower only too well for Stabler & Benson's taste, having the right answer for every question they ask. Dan says, "During the dinner, I went outside to talk with some people, but I don't know their names. While I was outside, I didn't know that Jill's apartment was nearby. If I knew about Jill's apartment, then I would've convinced her to come home. I wanted Tommy back. If Jill wanted to leave, then that's fine but I wasn't going to let her take Tommy." When Benson tells him she doesn't buy his act, his good-guy mask slips just a bit as he replies, "You wouldn't dare talk to me that way if you didn't have that badge & gun." After Dan & Priscilla leave the station, Munch finds new checking account in the name of Dana McGuire, but it's actually Jill's account. Jill deposited some paychecks from Benny's Topless into the account. Benny's Topless is strip club. Another Benny's entertainer tells Benson & Stabler that although Jill was a lousy dancer, she was hired because she looked like Susie Homemaker. Many of Benny's customers are commuters who stop in before heading home to the suburbs. Jill quit in a panic the previous week, after seeing a guy from her former hometown in the crowd one night. Before they leave, she tells them to 'nail the prick.' The credit card receipts from that night lead to a Mr. Rizzo, from Rye. To keep his wife from finding out he's not working heavy overtime, Rizzo says, "I asked Dan to come with me to strip club, but Dan said(no thanks). When I left strip club, I called Dan's phone on my way home & I told him about stripper who looked exactly like Jill. Dan said that Jill & Tommy are still in Florida. I asked Dan to come with me to strip club, but Dan still said(no thanks)." Rizzo figured it was great laugh. Stabler & Benson talk to Alex. Benson says, "Nobody saw Dan inside strip club. Dan didn't have to go inside strip club." Stabler says, "Once Dan knew where Jill worked, all he had to do was follow her home." If Dan killed Jill, then Dan dumped most of the evidence atleast 100 miles away. Alex says that their circumstantial information's enough for an arrest, but Dan's a very handsome, successful, charismatic man, fully capable of charming a grand jury into not indicting him. Therefore Alex obtains a silent indictment, which gets Dan indicted & arrested for Jill's murder, without giving him an opportunity to testify before the grand jury. Although Alex says that hearsay rule's acceptable sometimes, Priscilla asks Ridenour not to allow witnesses to testify that Jill told them she was abused by Dan because it violates Dan's right to question Jill. It violates Dan's right to question Jill because Jill's dead. Since Ridenour won't allow those witnesses to testify that Jill told them she was abused by Dan, Priscilla will tell jury that Jill was probably murdered during a Home Invasion. It's impossible for Alex to disprove that Jill was probably murdered during Home Invasion because Jill lived in unsafe neighborhood & Jill was a stripper. Tommy's testimony would convict Dan, but SVU's still barred from talking to the boy. Alex asks about Kim Hoffman, who has every right to talk to Tommy. Elliot replies that SVU hasn't been able to find Kim. Cragen tells detectives to find someone, who knew Kim. Allen Wheaten, the Hoffmans' longtime neighbor, knew that Dan abused Kim. Allen saw Kim's injuries. Allen believes that Dan killed Kim, because late one night he saw a van pull into Dan's driveway. Someone filled the van with garbage bags & drove off. The next day, Kim was gone. Allen contacted the Rye police with the van's license plate number & his suspicion that Kim was killed. The van belonged to a Dawn Trent, a soccer mom from Port Chester. When Rye Police called Dawn's phone, Dawn said that she delivered Girl Scout cookies during Kim's disappearance. Case closed. Stabler goes to Dawn's residence. Stabler realizes that Dawn & Dan never met each other before. Dawn tells Stabler that she helped Kim escape that night from her abusive situation. Allen mistakenly believed that Dan killed Kim. Kim didn't take Tommy with her because Dan was on the verge of killing her; she had to leave fast. She hoped to return for Tommy once she was settled elsewhere. Dawn belongs to a group which rescues domestic violence victims & passes them from one person to another, eventually resettling them far away from their abusers. All any rescuer knows is the next link in the chain. Stabler follows the chain of Kim's rescuers, locates Kim & tells her everything that's happened. Kim tearfully tells Stabler that she had gone back for Tommy, only to see him happily playing on the front lawn with Jill & calling her Mommy. Kim thought Tommy was better off there, because what did she have to offer him. Stabler persuades Kim to come back for Tommy's sake. Dan probably killed Jill, but if Kim doesn't come back for Tommy, then Tommy won't be able to testify due to(fear of Dan) & the jury will believe that Dan's innocent. If Dan gets released from courtroom, then Tommy will be returned to Dan. At courthouse where Dan's trial’s in progress, Alex believes that Dan's committing perjury on the witness stand. Kim talks to Tommy in the hallway. The bond between mother & son's reestablished. When Tommy's called to testify, he & Kim walk into courtroom together. Since Dan realizes that Tommy's standing next to Kim, Dan's little scared because Tommy probably has courage to testify now. Although Tommy's on the witness stand, Dan glares at Tommy & Tommy's still terrified of Dan to speak. Stabler's the only person, who knows that Dan glared at Tommy. Stabler doesn't say that Dan glared at Tommy because it's hard to convince many people that Dan's guilty. Ridenour allows Tommy to step down without testifying. As Alex leads Tommy past the defense table to leave, Dan flashes him a big smile & says, "I love you, son." Tommy looks at Kim sitting nearby. When Tommy sees Dan again, Tommy quietly says, "You killed Jill." Priscilla realizes that Dan's guilty, but Priscilla's just doing her job by asking Ridenour if she can move for a mistrial. Ridenour calls for order in court amongst murmuring observers. Dan's good-guy mask slips off as he coldly says, "Tommy, you listen to me. Don't do this." Tommy turns to Alex & agrees to testify. Ridenour allows Tommy to come back onto the witness stand. Dan can only watch in silent, seething rage as his own son returns to the witness stand. As Tommy sits down, he glares at his father with steely, righteous defiance that not even his father's most violent abusive fury will shake. Category:SVU episodes Cast Main cast * Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler * Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson * Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch * Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot * Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola (credit only) * B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang * Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen Recurring cast * Harvey Atkin as Judge Alan Ridenour * Jordan Gelber as CSU Technician Layton * Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner Guest cast * Rob Estes as Dan Hoffman * Signy Coleman as Kim Hoffman * Max Jansen Weinstein as Mikey / Tommy Hoffman * Haviland Morris as Dawn Trent * Adam LeFevre as Rye Police Chief * Suzanne Shepherd as Old Woman * Stephen Mailer as Mr. McGuire * Rita Gardner as Neighbor * Welker White as Jill Hoffman's Attorney * Sandra Bernhard as Attorney Priscilla Chaney * Lord Jamar as Leon * P.J. Benjamin as Lloyd Jackson * Michele Santopietro as Mandy * Richard Thomsen as Allen Wheaten * Mark Lotito as Mike Rizzo * Kate Goehring as Dr. Sally Ivers * Christy Baron as Ariana Kane * Michelle Hurst as Vita Weldon * Amy Love as Dana McGuire * Tom Bruno as Firefighter #1 * John E. Mack as Firefighter #2 * Libby George as Woman #2 * Kate Middleton as Woman #1 * Melanie Nicholls-King as Woman #3 * Rick Johnson as Court Clerk * Amy Dorris as Jill Hoffman (uncredited) References References Quotes *'Dan': (after Tommy fails to testify) I love you, son. *'Tommy': (looks at his mother sitting nearby, then quietly says to his father) You killed Jill. (court gasps) *'Priscilla': Your honor, I move for a mistrial! *'Judge Ridenour': Order, order! *'Dan': (frantically) Tommy, listen to me. Don’t do this. *'Tommy': (to Alex) I'm ready. I can do this now. ---- *'Priscilla': We request a speedy trial date. My client is eager to prove his innocence. An opportunity the ADA denied him in the Grand Jury. *'Alex': The District Attorney is under no obligation to inform... *'Judge Ridenour': I know the law, Miss Cabot. I also know your reputation for bending it. ---- *'Alex': Well, he wouldn't be a single parent if he hadn't killed his wife. ---- *'Benson': You've got an answer for everything, don't you. I'm not buying your 'loving father' act. Tommy's terrified of you. *'Dan': My son is everything to me. I would die for my son. *'Benson': Tommy almost died for you. You killed Jill and then you left him alone in that apartment. And had firefighters not responded so fast, you'd be burying him along with your dead wife. *'Dan': You wouldn't dare talk to me like that if you didn't have that badge and gun. ---- *'Trent': It's the same old story, Detective. Your husband's the nicest guy in town, but every night when he comes home, he beats you. He degrades you. He tortures you. And who's going to believe that the "Man of the Year" is a batterer? And you can't just leave. There's nowhere to hide in a small town. The only solution is to get away, far away, and start over. But that takes money. And help. *'Stabler': And that's what you provide? *'Trent': Not just me. A group of us. *'Stabler': What is this, some kind of DV Underground Railroad? *'Trent': You could call it that. ---- Background information and notes Background information and notes Episode scene cards Category:SVU episodes